My Rule for Life

I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A QUIET NIGHT IN THE MIDWEST

It's a quiet night here in the Midwest, at least my part of the Midwest.  The temperature is about 72 and its about 2100 hours. That 9:00PM for those of you in Loma Linda. I'm sitting on the patio!  Even though it's that late with my Citronella candle Gretchen made I can fight off the mosquitoes and type by laptop light.  I have about 95 percent cloud cover but the moon just shined/shone (?) through a break in the clouds.  I never quite understood that whole moon, sun, axis, rotation, revolving thing.  Then it's not up to me to figure it out.  It's up to me to just accept what God has created.

Out here in the hinter lands, as I like to call it you can actually see the stars at night.  You can see the field mouse that just ran across the patio to get to the rabbit hutch so he could chow down on some spilled rabbit food.  Those boys are so sloppy.  Stormin' Norman and Dirty Joe I mean.  I guess they can afford to give a little to the field mice population as they both are fat and need to get some exercise, like me.
There is a main highway a mile from here and I can hear the cars going up and down the road.  Where they are going I don't care.  To me it doesn't really matter.  So long as they get there safely. That's what country living is all about.  Peace and quiet, field mice, gardens, and good neighbors.  I have one.

We've had a little rain in this neck of the woods lately and I am a little behind in my gardening.  In fact I have the raise beds planted but the regular garden wasn't tilled until Thursday night.  My neighbor, I'll call him Cliff, 'cause that's his name saw me working in the raise beds.  He and Kody, the 140 lb Lab strolled over and in the course of conversation asked if he could till my garden for me.  I begged off a little and he said go mark it off.  I marked off the space I was going to till later this week and by the time I did that Cliff was back with his big tractor.  About 15 minutes, 6 or 8 trips up and back and the garden was tilled.  No charge.  Now that's what I call right neighborly.  I will go down to the barn and get his diesel gas can and fill it up for him next week but what a small price to pay. 
 
OUCH,  mosquito got me! Gonna have to talk with Gretchen about  a little more Citonella in those candles when I see her the next time.

Now as I was saying.  What a small price to pay.  This is the way it was when I was a kid and this is the way it still should be.  I know I am not the only one with a good neighbor but I have to think.  Have I been a good neighbor?  Have I gone the extra mile for someone lately? Am I doing what I was put on this Earth for? I tell you folks I think I have.  Having said that I wonder. Yes, I know I am preaching and it's not even Sunday.  It is however, the Sabbath for a lot of folks.  Now I am really wondering.  Could this be my Grandma Smyers or Great Grandma Stienbrook giving me a little Hebrew guidance lesson tonight.  Now I am really wondering.

Wow, a big break in the clouds and it appears we have a slightly over a half of a moon tonight and a lot of stars.  Now that in its self is not exciting however,  I love that word.  It means I can go on and on and on, and I believe I will.  Quick story about my son, Jacob.

Now you may not believe this but Jacob was not always a good child.  There was a time in his life and mine when I wonder if the phone call would be him needing a doctor or an attorney.  He/we did have our moments as he was maturing.  Well to the meat of this story.  We were sitting out here on this very same patio one night just like tonight.  We were solving all the world's problems and a few of our own.  It was a good evening for me and I believe for him.  We just sat here looking at the moon and stars and he ask me, "Pops, you know what I always wondered about?"  l replied, with a somewhat anxious answer, "No, what?"  "What do you think is on the other side of the farthest  star out there?  Not the farthest one we can see but the farthest one, the very last one."  Needless to say I didn't have an answer.  We talked some more and then went into the house.  I have thought about it from time to time and come to this conclusion.  What's on the other side of the farthest star out there is not really important to me.  What was/is important is and I do believe that was the night Jacob came to the conclusion God is real and we just have to accept certain things as part of the plan.  It wasn't shortly after that evening he enlisted in the ARMY.  I believe I  now know why.


It's been a good week for me as my granddaughter, Tauri Rebecca turned 6 and her daddy, Aaron, the elder, turned 39.  It's hard to believe he has had that many birthdays.  He must be getting old!  Tauri is one of grandpa's girls.  I have two others not counting Sarah, my daughter.  Lacy and Eden are 3 and 5.  None of them, I might add are spoiled. Heh  Heh.

Memorial Day is next weekend so how about a Thank you this week to every veteran and military person you see.

Shalom and G-d Bless!
Pops

7 comments:

Most Rev. Gregori said...

Pops,I'm with you on that thank a vet thing. I don't use the Citronella candles as I don't much like the smell. What I do use to keep the 'skeeters' at bay is Lemon grass. I love the stuff as I can use it as a spice when cooking various meats and chicken.

I don't know if any of your Super Markets sell it, but if you have any Asian food stores around, you can get it there. If you put a few stalks in some water until they start to produce roots, then you can plant them in a large flower pot and keep it on your patio (Two or three pots are better). They do keep skeeters away and it has a nice mild lemon taste. You will have to bring those pots inside during late fall and winter. Being from Southeast Asia, Lemon Grass doesn't like the cold.

P.S.

Give Jacob and big Thank YOU from me. Yes, God's in Heaven, the Devil is in hell and all is well.

Shalom and Salam may you and yours walk with the Lord forever.

ABNPOPPA said...

MRG,

Thanks for the Lemon Grass tip. I'm not much on the Citnello candle smell myself. Gretchen had made some to sell at the candle shop for campers and I was just using it. Maybe I will yard sell them. My partner at the county is Phillipino and I KNOW he shops the Asian stores. I will go with him and get some. I like Lemon much, much better. Will tell Jacob Hi from you. He actually met Chaplin Lynn at Fort Bragg when he got home from Haiti. I have been blogging/eming Chaplin Lynn for over 3 years. So that circle has been completed. Now just have to get to New York and complete this circle.

God Bless,
Pops

Adrienne said...

We live just like you. A friend is heading over today to dig our pond (I'm crazy!) and grade our road.

One big difference - NO mosquitoes. Actually, very few weird crawly things at all.

We had our fill of mosquitoes growing up in Minnesota, roaches in Texas, and more than enough weird crawly things in Arizona. North Idaho is perfect!

MightyMom said...

hi pops. sounds like a lovely evening! I need a couple of those myself.

let us remember our service men and women who've paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country this weekend.

Rita Loca said...

Hey Pops,I agree with and support the Arizona law! I just thought this cartoon was cute!

Here I what I wrote about it earlier;
http://jungle-hut.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-it-really-about-race.html

Jeff-for-progress said...

Pops,

Best to the Vets on Memorial Day!

Jeff

ABNPOPPA said...

Thank you all for stopping by!

Pops

Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder.

Read more about this famous Lutheran Pastor at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer


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